NC State
Wake Forest
Wake Whips Wolfpack, 38-24
9/6/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 6, 2003
By Tony Haynes
Winston-Salem, N.C.-- The college football observers who designate such things will label Wake Forest's 38-24 victory over 11th ranked NC State on Saturday a major upset. But for four quarters, it was the Deacons (2-0) who looked more like a nationally ranked team that has designs on winning a championship this year. Dominating the game in every phase, coach Jim Grobe's Deacs jumped out to a 28-10 lead at the break and held on for one of the biggest victories in school history. Even on a day when Philip Rivers passed for a career high 433 yards and surpassed Jamie Barnette as the school's all-time leading passer, NC State was never able to overcome its own mistakes and Wake's near-flawless execution.
Inevitably, some will try to suggest that the Wolfpack was looking ahead to next week's game at Ohio State. Others will cite the injuries to running back T.A. McLendon, receiver Sterling Hicks and tackle Chris Colmer as reasons why the Pack came up short.
But such speculation would only be an insult to a Wake Forest team that nearly played a perfect football game.
"They beat us in every phase," said NC State head coach Chuck Amato. "You've got to tip your cap to Wake Forest. They had a plan and they executed it. And their kids really fought."
The stat sheet shows that NC State outgained Wake Forest 511 yards to 375, but as Amato has said many times, "stats are for losers." The Deacons were the best team on the field starting with the very first drive of the game when sophomore quarterback Cory Randolph guided his team on a 10 play, 78-yard march that ended with fullback Nick Burney crossing the goal line to make it 7-0. In an age when many teams go on defense after winning the opening toss, the Deacons showed they meant business by taking the ball first.
"They took that drive and went right down the field," Amato said. "They won the coin toss and said they wanted the football. I turned to the defense and said, `they're going to test you.' And they did."
And the Pack wasn't up to the challenge. In building a 25-point lead midway through the second quarter, Wake owned total control of the line of scrimmage on both sides of the football. A diverse running game that would produce 202 yards on the day was complimented by the clutch passing of Randolph, who was 8-of-10 for 131 yards and no interceptions.
"I was really pleased with Cory today," Grobe said. "He got us in a couple of bad formations and I'm not happy with that. But that's youth and inexperience. As far as running our offense and moving around in the pocket, he was good. I thought he ran the draw well a couple of times and stuck some nice throws to Jason Anderson.
Anderson, a lanky 6-3 junior, used his long arms and height advantage to make two big catches over Wolfpack corner Lamont Reid in the first half. The two plays, which went for 43 and 42 yards, respectively, led to Wake touchdowns.
Wake Forest also had a one-sided advantage in the kicking game, which allowed the Deacons to win the all important field position battle. While Wake's average starting position was the 33-yard line, NC State opened six of 10 drives inside its own 20. The Deacs' edge in the kicking game was bolstered by freshman Willie Idlette's 50-yard punt return for a touchdown that gave Wake Forest a 28-3 advantage with 6:22 left in the second quarter.
And although a Rivers to Jerricho Cotchery touchdown pass late in the first half got NC State within 18 at 28-10, it was obvious to all 35,741 fans in attendance at Groves Stadium that the Wolfpack was in trouble.
"The thing I told our kids consistently was we didn't finish against the `Noles last year," Grobe said. "We thought we had a great chance at an upset last year when we took Florida State down to the wire and came up short. So I think our kids took the second half as a challenge to make sure it didn't slip away."
Despite a passing barrage by Rivers, it didn't slip away. Desperately trying to get his team back into the game, the Wolfpack's senior quarterback dodged the Wake pass rush numerous times to make some remarkable throws. After a 34-yard field goal by Ryan Plackemeier put the Deacons ahead 31-10, NC State finally got its first points of the second half when Rivers, scrambling away from pressure, found running back Cotra Jackson for a 22-yard score with 14:06 left to make it 31-17.
But the Deacons wouldn't crack, and when tailback Cornelius Birgs ended a 69-yard drive by scoring on a 16-yard run with 4:41 left, the Wake Forest faithful, draped in Black and Gold, started to gear up for a big postgame celebration. Wake's balanced rushing attack was led by Chris Barclay, who had 92 yards on 21 carries, while Birgs (53 yards), Randolph (42 yards) and Burney (42 yards, four carries) also contributed to the cause.
With Mclendon out with a knee injury, NC State's running attack was virtually non-existent most of the afternoon. Starter Cotra Jackson had just 36 yards on 12 carries against a Wake Forest defense that was actually set up to contain Rivers and the passing game. Often playing with five defensive backs, the Deacons managed to stop the running game with only three down linemen and three linebackers.
"Coach Amato told us to take this game as a learning experience," said NC State receiver Brian Clark. "We had to fight through adversity but couldn't come through. We have to correct the mistakes on offense, defense and special teams and start focusing on next week."
And there were plenty of mistakes to go around. There were 10 Wolfpack penalties for 90 yards, some coming at key moments when the Deacons were building their big first half lead. Four times in the opening half, the Pack defensive line jumped offside.
"That's being undisciplined," Amato said. "We were listening to the quarterback's inflection instead of watching the ball. That's just not doing what you're asked to do."
For the second straight game, the NC State defense failed to come up with a turnover, while Wake Forest picked off two Rivers' passes. Through two games, the Pack is now minus three in the takeaway/giveaway ratio.
While it's certainly no consolation to him personally, Rivers finished the day 38-of-49 for 433 yards and three touchdowns. He now has thrown for 9,746 yards in his career, a figure that vaults him past former Duke star Ben Bennett into second place on the all-time ACC list. Rivers also posted back-to-back 300-yard games for the first time since the opening two games of his career against Arkansas State and Indiana.
Receiver Jerricho Cotchery made nine catches for 173 yards to reach 1,985 yards for his career and jumped from eighth to fourth on the Pack's all-time receiving yards list. Making his first collegiate start, NC State receiver Richard Washington tallied nine grabs for 85 yards and a touchdown.
But those flashy statistics couldn't change the outcome of a game that now leaves NC State with virtually no margin for error if it wants to challenge for the ACC championship and the BCS Bowl game that goes with it.
"This season is not over," Amato said. "It puts us behind the eight-ball in the ACC, but there's only one team in this league (Florida State) that might be able to win this league with an undefeated record. We'll just keep fighting and get better each week. These kids know what's at stake; they feel bad. It's a lesson of life that they have to learn. We've just got to be ready come next week."
